It's a Barbie World...???

Let's face it, we all love to see how the other half lives. From Robin Leach's 'Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams' to MTV 'Cribs', we like to peek into the homes of our fave celebs and see how they spend all that loot we shell out for their films and CD's.

This one, my friends, takes the proverbial cake.

Barbie's digs are getting a makeover. More on that in a minute...first, take a look at the evolution of Barbie's domiciles...

1960's cardboard room to 1970's townhouse tower,

1980's Dream House grows to a 1990's Dream (Mc)Mansion...and then surprisingly shrinks to a tiny apartment in the new millenium. (I've left out the myriad of ski lodges, beach cottages, home-made abodes, and assorted RV's, campers, vans, and the like.)

Apparently, Mattel has decided that it is time for Miss B's home to get a Makeover of the Extreme variety, in order to keep her in line with the spiffy brand image of a still-hot chick who appeals to a wide demographic. (BTW, have you seen the YouTube video of 'Cougar Barbie'? Hilarious...)

So, the toy cpmpany has hired uber-chic designer Jonathan Adler to redesign a house for Barbie.

Love him on Top Designer, love his pottery, love his interior design aesthetic. He's wacky. When his partner Simon Doonan is added to that, it's double-wacky. I like that. I can even see why a toy company would like that...can you just imagine the rooms he's going to dream up for the new Dream Home of the pink-princess, fashion plate, ultimate career woman, and all-around nice girl? Heck, he'll make her eco-friendly and a style trendsetter while he's at it.

Yup, somethin' like that! Check out his sketch here (I couldn't copy the photo):

http://home.aol.com/new_in_home/photogallerytall/_a/barbies-dream-house-through-the-years/20090217175109990001

But here's the rub, folks: He's also releasing a line of merchandise that will mimic the Barbie house. Rugs, lamps, furnishings, accessories, et al. For YOUR house. And I know, it's retail, which has to keep coming up with new things to entice us to buy. And pop culture sells. But come ON.... do we really need our homes to be decorated Barbie-style? Unless we are ten, I don't think so. But he did it: http://home.aol.com/new_in_home/photogallerytall/_a/barbies-real-life-malibu-dream-house/20090217175109990001

(Deb is shaking her head here...) cue the music: http://www.imeem.com/macfrancis/music/H-l7TJgV/aqua_barbie_girl/

Eddie-isms

Eddie really delivered some zingers onTop Design last night.
Let's revisit a few of his 'best' moments, shall we?

"I've flown on Martha Stewart's JET! How many people can say that they've flown on Martha Stewart's JET?" sigh. (thinking: 'I AM the best.')

"I don't know where it comes from. Just a gift from God, I guess!!!"
(thinking: 'And I spell God M-A-R-T-H-A'.)

"I don't need someone to tell me it's good. It's my JOB to know when it's good. And it's always good. I work for the BEST, for God's sake."
(NOT thinking: 'Wearing this shirt on camera will bring on a slew of laundry lessons from Martha, and possibly a visit from Tim Gunn....')

"Preston is a whooooooole lotta' talk..but not much to back it up."
(thinking: "Oh crap. I'm screwed.")

(thinking: 'PHONED IT IN???PHONED IT IN???? Are you KIDDING me? I work for Martha Stewart!!!!')

"Well, of course everyone is entitled to (my...I mean...)their...opinion. But I know plenty of people who would LOVE that room." (thinking: 'like Martha....and I am SO going to get a raise for mentioning her so much.')

And finally, "A gay's gotta' do what a gay's gotta' do." (thinking: 'Preston is better than me. But he can't be better than me, because I AM the best and I work for the BEST. So I have to do everything I can to sabotage him so I'll win and not be the laughing stock of MSLO when I go back to work....').

Poor Eddie. He just can't help being such a horse's arse, so I just think of him as the south end of Mr. Ed. (Yes, THAT Mr. Ed.) I had the thought that he'll be mighty embarassed when he doesn't win and goes back to work - but then I quickly realized that Eddie's super-sized ego will never accept that. He'll go back to MSLO as bombastic and precocious as ever, maligning the taste of the judges and announcing his superior intellect forever. And no one will notice a thing, because they all know that this is just Eddie. EquusRumpus Bombasticus.

Image Credits: All photos from Bravo TV's Top Design

And Another Thing.....

OK, so Bacchus and I are having a convo about DesignStar contestants in the last posts' comments, and I thought I'd bring it up here into a new post...

He's bugged by the gays on the show acting straight by saying 'I don't have a wife at home' and ignoring their partners by not acknowledging them on camera. Kind of like when Hilary Swank forgot to thank her husband on Oscar night... OOOpsie. Excuse me, but your disrespect is showing.

I'm bugged by the gays on the show acting like cartoon stereotypes, whether by their own choice or network dictate. (A caveat: I do not include Sparkle Josh from last season in this category. Nope. He's the real deal! If it wasn't for his accent, I'd wonder.) I was incredibly bothered by one contestant on another show - Shear Genius - going ON and ON and ON about the beautiful wife he had at home. As if to say "I am the only male hairstylist here who is NOT GAY but I can't say that out loud so I'll drop 'my wife' into every line I utter..." I am just so frustrated by it even being an issue. Gay, not gay, whatever. These are competitions of skill and talent, are they not? Living arrangements, sexual preference, number of or absence of children, annual income, credit rating - non-issues!!!!

But I'd like to steer this in a parallel direction: Do you believe what you see?

Are those characters real - flaws and all, intensified by close quarters, timelines, no sleep because Matt snores like Mr. Deb, and stress? Or are they manipulated by carefully-edited footage to support a dramatic build in tension through the season? (One could ask this question of any reality show.) It's television. What do YOU think? Reality Schmeality.

I mean, Tracee just bugged me from day one. She's the kind of designer... ummmmmmmm.... decorator...... that people think of when the term 'DIVA' is used. (Yes, you hear me shuddering) But in all honesty, is she really like that? Is she really a hothead self-absorbed irresponsible troublemaker? I seriously doubt it. At least, she's not that way ALLLL of the time, which is what the show implied. Even though she wreaked havoc, she wasn't eliminated - why? Because there is no decorating without drama, people! They had to build her rep as the beeotch, and then keep her on to stir it up. How sad is that? I mean, this woman has a family, a business to return to...will this portrayal damage her reputation and affect her business? Will clients avoid her because they think she is a P.I.T.A. to work with? Will her kids be hanging their heads in shame at the way the world views mommy?

I've heard more than a few times from friends and clients that I should enter the DesignStar competition. Yes, I possess the ability to handle the design work. But it's the fallout that scares the bejesus outta' me. I may be more Jennifer than Tracee, but I am scared to death of which 'character' in the drama they'd cast me as: the beeotch, the ditz, the whiner, the perky one (not so bad, actually), the den mother, or the Diva - and I mean that in the worst way.